American Dream Still Alive Research Paper

Dedrick Wang

Is the American Dream Still Alive? America: the land of the free, home of the brave, and the nation of opportunity. America is a country constructed upon the core beliefs that every individual has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through grit and perseverance, America has rose to become a global superpower. However, after centuries of evolution, our great nation has encountered a crisis which challenges our very identity and the American Dream itself. The concept of the American Dream can be inferred and translated into an infinite amount of definitions, however, the overarching theme is that every U.S. citizen, despite culture and background, should have an equal opportunity to achieve prosperity and

The American Dream is threatened by the rampant hatred and racism that plagues our nation. A prime example of racism tainting the American Dream can be found in the White House, in our president Donald Trump. Trump’s proposals of restricting Mexican and Muslim immigration denies the opportunity to millions of individuals hoping to chase after the American Dream. Regardless of an individual’s race or religion, they are entitled the right to pursue freedom and economic opportunities as promised by the overarching theme of the American Dream. Donald Trump’s policies are a direct inverse of the ideals portrayed in “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus. “The New Colossus” is a poem about the Statue of Liberty which is meant to be a beacon of hope for immigrants. It is meant to be a message that America takes in the poor, the weak, and the unwanted. These immigrants come to America with nothing, yet they still come looking to pursue their dreams and to work hard to attain them. These immigrants are exactly what the American Dream is meant to be, working hard and persevering in order to achieve happiness, yet Donald Trump is already killing

Throughout the years, America has faced its ups and downs in terms of economic prosperity and none has been more evident than during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. When the housing market crashed millions of people were left poverty stricken, and unemployed. As a result of this event, America was thrown into a period of economic recession and its people were thrown into a state of depression. Due to the housing market crash, millions of Americans witnessed the instability of the free market play out in front of them. In addition, another example of economic struggles killing the American Dream is found in student debt among college grads. According to The Institute of “College Access and Success”, in 2012 approximately 71% of all students graduating from four-year colleges suffered student loan debts, with the average debt being around 30,000 dollars and in worse case scenarios in the 6 figure range. As a result of student loans, nearly 48 percent of young adults coming out of college feel as if the American Dream is impossible to attain. They feel as if they have an unequal or nonexistent opportunity to achieve financial stability and prosperity as the loans swallow them up before they are even able to pursue a career. Economic prosperity is something that every individual worries about, in result, constant economic struggles within the